A biography for Abdullah II of Jordanhasn’t been written yet.
“No matter what's happening in the Middle East - the Arab Spring, et cetera, the economic challenges, high rates of unemployment - the emotional, critical issue is always the Israeli-Palestinian one.”
“Together, we can create a world in which peace is real; in which every human being can thrive; in which all share the promise of our century. I believe we can succeed.”
“There is resistance to change. There's a resistance to ideas.”
“I don't think the Middle East could afford another war.”
“We want to be, I think, an example for the rest of the Arab world, because there are a lot of people who say that the only democracy you can have in the Middle East is the Muslim Brotherhood.”
“You're always going to have terrorism.”
“If you look at military and intelligence positions from the 1950s, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has always been against American national interests.”
“When we try to push the envelope, there are certain sectors of society that say this is a Zionist plot to sort of destabilize our country, or this is an American agenda.”
“And as an American colleague said to me several months ago, he said, 'I think the challenge in Jordan - and, again, this is for the rest of the Middle East - we need to define what center is. And once we can define what center is to a Jordanian, then we can decide what's left and what's right of that.”
“There are so many different sub-societies inside of Syria.”
“I'm just very wary that once you start military operations in any country, it's very difficult to predict what the outcome is.”
“If everybody is happy, then something is wrong with the democratic process.”
“For me, I am left leaning when it comes to health and education, on the right when it comes to defense. So I don't know where I come on the political spectrum. And I think this the challenge that a lot of Jordanians have to deal with.”
“Through Hamas, Iran has been able to buy itself a seat on the table in talking about the Palestinian issue. And, as a result, through Hamas it does play a role in the issue of the Palestinians, as strange as that should sound.”
“Prime Minister Sharon, Prime Minister Abbas, I urge you today to end the designs of those who seek destruction, annihilation and occupation, and I urge you to have the will and the courage to begin to realize our dreams of peace, prosperity and coexistence.”
“It is always dangerous to underestimate anybody.”
“I like to look at the glass half full.”
“If you believe that the killing of innocent people is right, then you are not part of my future.”
“The Middle East has the highest unemployment percentage of any region in the world we have the largest youth cohort of history coming into the market place that frustration does translate into the political sphere when people are hungry and without jobs.”
“The incentive that you give to your youth is going to be the make-or-break future of the country.”